What's wrong with spending £4,000 on flowers and £1,100 on the ballet? - Daily Mail

No one will begrudge footing the bill for official functions which the Lord Speaker would reasonably be expected to host, but serious questions need to be asked about whether all this spending by her office is appropriate.

Taxpayers will in particular want to know why their money was spent on tickets to the ballet, five star hotels, external caterers, PR advice and thousands of pounds worth of flowers. All the costs incurred by the Lord Speaker must be kept under constant review and savings found where possible.

Furthermore, how Baroness D’Souza and her staff spend taxpayers' money should be published as a matter of course so that it can be subject to proper and regular scrutiny.

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Welcome to The TaxPayers' Alliance, Britain's grassroots campaigning group dedicated to reforming taxes, cutting spending and protecting taxpayers. If you like what we do, become a supporter now by signing up to our mailing list using the form below. John O'Connell, Chief Executive